When it comes to selecting safeties in the NFL draft, the general rule for teams is unless there's a standout all-around playmaker to target early, don't reach for one in the first round. If teams are just looking a particular type – a strong run-support defender or a more athletic ballhawk for pass coverage – they can find that player later.

One good example is Oakland Raiders strong safety Tyvon Branch, a 2008 fourth-round pick (100 overall), a prolific tackler whom the team esteemed essentially to use its franchise tag on the free agent to be last month. The Tennessee Titans gave the same treatment to a different kind of safety, 2007 first-round pick Michael Griffin. Griffin isn't nearly as steady as Branch, but is the flashier type who has made a living on making big interceptions.

Here's a quick look back on how other safeties drafted from 2007 through '11 have fared as a group:

Five-year draft review: Safeties

Best overall pick: Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs, 2010, 5th overall. The Chiefs splurged by taking him that high, and he didn't disappoint as a rookie, making the Pro Bowl on the strength of making plays all over the field – including 92 tackles, two sacks and four interceptions. As much as they missed running back Jamaal Charles in their offense after tearing his ACL in Week 2, the same injury Berry suffered in Week 1 was a bigger season-ending blow. Berry should only improve under Romeo Crennel's continued guidance in 2012.

Best late-round pick: Dashon Goldson, San Francisco 49ers, 2007, fourth round, 126th overall. It took a few years for Goldson to blossom, but for a team that advanced to the NFC championship game last season, he forced timely turnovers along with his hard-hitting style. Those combined skills made Goldson worthier of the franchise tag than either Branch or Griffin. Because of their dual responsibilities, it's not unusual for a safety to steadily improve his repertoire to emerge as a well-rounded star a few years down the line.

Best draft class: 2007. Griffin and Brandon Meriweather, then with his original team, the New England Patriots, were the first to make Pro Bowls, but their inconsistencies that come from undisciplined lapses have been an issue – same goes for another '07 first-round pick, Reggie Nelson (currently with the Cincinnati Bengals). The players that now put the stamp on this class are Goldson and the San Diego Chargers' Eric Weddle. Weddle, with his energy and nose for the ball, looks like the heir apparent to the established but aging royalty of Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu.

Rising star: Earl Thomas, Seahawks, 2010, 14th overall. If Weddle is becoming the premier free safety in the AFC, then Thomas is quickly working to take that mantle in the NFC. He's followed Griffin in being a star out of the position from the University of Texas. Thomas may be more in the Polamalu mold with his ability to make up a lot of ground in a hurry, as his 98 tackles and two interceptions in a '11 Pro Bowl campaign show. Don't be surprised if this year's most promising safety prospect, Alabama's Mark Barron, also goes as high as 14th overall – to the Dallas Cowboys.

Last year's top model: Jaiquawn Jarrett, Philadelphia Eagles, second round, 54th overall. The Eagles are used to getting great safety play under Andy Reid over the years. Once it was with players such as Brian Dawkins and Michael Lewis. More recently, it's been Quintin Mikell holding down the back line. The Eagles hope they've found something with Jarrett and 2010 second-round pick Nate Allen. Having more stability at linebacker with former Houston Texan DeMeco Ryans should help Jarrett and Allen's jobs easier in the middle of the field.